The northern Australian coastal plains are relatively recent landforms that have undergone dynamic evolution over the last 10,000 years. Over 300 radiocarbon dates have enabled archaeologists and geomorphologists to provide a more detailed interpretation of human settlement and resource use. This paper provides a synthesis of the archaeological evidence and integrates it within the palaeo-environmental frameworks. It characterises the timing, pattern and nature of human-environment interaction in this newly formed landscape over the last 10,000 years.